The Day we met Polly
by Candyness
Summary: About how the children met Polly, how she came to be called Aunt Polly and how Edmund truly learned why he was needed. one shot written for school


**The Day We Met Polly**

When the Professor asked Polly to come and stay with us, it was three months after we'd been in Narnia, and the day after one of Peter's nightmares. These nightmares had grown less frequent since we'd left, but he still got them. I hated them the most of us, besides him, and maybe even more than him, now that he'd finally told us what they were about: the day I'd been stabbed by the witch. The dreams were my fault really; if hadn't been so stupid as to sell my siblings out for candy, _candy_, this wouldn't have happened.

Then again, the Professor's face startled me when I saw it after Peter told us. He looked just as self blaming as I. His voice trembled when he asked what the witch's name was, and when Lucy said "I think Aslan said it was Jadis" he went almost as white as the witch herself. It was good in a way, I suppose, because Peter's curiosity over came him, and he almost stopped shaking in mine and Susan's arms. Almost. In the end though, he fell asleep, his fingers still laced though mine

"Ed, Peter, get up!" I groaned in response to the cheery voice, and found Lucy pulling at the knitted blanket wrapped around me when I opened my eyes. I was sitting in a big arm chair, in Peter's room. "We're going to have breakfast, and then we're going in the buggy with the professor to see his friend Mrs. Brown. She's coming to stay with us, and the Macready is on holiday while she's here! It absolutely brilliant! "

"Brown?" Peter wormed his fingers out of my grip and sat up. "Who's she? And why are you still here Ed?

"I guess I fell asleep" I muttered, and got up from my chair, stretching.

"She's his friend, and I _think _she went to Narnia with him." Lucy answered Peter first question.

I turned back to her sharply, and Peter went bolt upright. "What?" He gasped. The professor had not told us one detail about his trip to Narnia, except that he'd been there. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened there and what this Mrs. Brown had to do with it.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Lucy stared at me "Go in you room and get changed! Hurry, hurry, hurry!" I just caught Peter's amused face as Lucy busied me out the door.

While I changed into a clean shirt and pants, I couldn't help but think of how weird it would look to an adult to see my eight years old sister reminding me to "Close your mouth! Stop staring! Go get changed! Eat your vegetables!" but it was second nature to us, and her as well of course. Peter took care of us from battles, Susan always made us talk to her, so we never really got mentally ill, and we were never sick nor rude if Lucy was there, and I, well, what _did_ I do? I wasn't sure. If someone wanted to know they probably ought to ask someone else.

I walked down to the dining room, and found Susan and the professor deep in conversation.

"So was this Mrs. Brown in… Narnia with you?" Susan faltered for a moment, unsure if she was stepping into dangerous ground. Always gentle. I smiled at the thought, and slid into the seat next her. She smiled at me. "Did you see Peter this morning?"" I nodded. She looked at me. "You stayed there all night, didn't you."" She accused me.

"He did"" Lucy entered the room and sat across from me. "You shouldn't be surprised anymore Su."' I squirmed under their combined scrutiny, and the professor's smile.

Peter entered and the girls stopped. They usually didn't talk about Peter's dream's or my staying with him in his presence, it made him irritable.

"Well."' The professor laid his finger tips together and smiled at us over them. "I suppose you are all wishing to know the answer to the question Susan asked."" Lucy and Peter looked at her.

"Was Mrs. Brown in Narnia with you."' Susan said, without pausing this time They nodded.

"We are, rather, sir."' Lucy informed him as she reached for a piece of toast from the middle of the table. She wasn't an elegant queen anymore, and I was harshly remaindered of it.

I grabbed a piece of toast too, and the professor continued. "She was. We were only there for a short time, not even half as long as you, in fact, a lot less than half.""

"That's not hard."' I smiled at him. "We were in there for 16 years"

"Goodness!"' He stared at us "Was that how long it was?"'

"Give or take a month"' Peter said.

"So you were….thirty?"" Peter nods again, although sadly this time and I shiver, even though I'm not cold. It really was a very, _very long time._

_The professor sighs. "I knew you were adults but I thought… early twenties…. Thirty."" He sighed._

_I changed the subject, I couldn't help it. My siblings sighed a little when I did, pleased. "_When are we going to meet Mrs. Brown?"' I said.

"Plumber"' He corrected me. "I suppose Mrs. Macready told you Brown."

"Lucy did" I replied.

"The, I mean, Mrs. Macready told me"' She said.

The professor past off her little slip. "Polly's husband died a few years ago, and she won't go by his name anymore, and she wants to be called Ms. It's not changed legally, but that won't stop her from being called that. Mrs. Macready does not approve."" His nostrils flared a little, and I could tell that at the moment, the professor didn't approve of Mrs. Macready.

"Anyhow, we're going when we're finished breakfast! So, dig in!"' I bit into the bread on my plate smiling. Ms. Plumber sounded nice.

In the old buggy I sat with the girls in the back, and Peter and the Professor sat up front, with Peter driving. He was the only one of us who didn't mind driving carriages or wagons, and no one really ever let him. That was not work for king Peter the Magnificent.

"Ed?" Susan leaned towards me whispering. ""Was Peter okay in the night?"

I nodded "He was fine."' I reassured her. "Slept like a little baby."" The joked didn't even amuse her, but she took a breath and sat back. I knew how she felt. We'd all hoped the nightmares would go away, but this had startled fear of a relapse into everyone.

"Look!'' Lucy pointed at a large house, not as big as the professor's, but still rather large. It was painted white, with cheerful yellow trim. "Is that Ms. Plumber's house?"'

"Yes!'' The professor called back.

"I haven't even met Ms Plumber"" Susan said out of the corner of her mouth to me, "And I like her more and more."'

"Me too"" I said, and leapt over the side of the wagon to the hard earth. Peter jumped out beside me, and Lucy jumped to, though Peter caught her halfway to the ground. The Professor and Susan left the buggy more carefully. Peter and I went to the horse and bought him over to the grass before picketing him for the professor, although I must admit it felt odd, not letting the horse go were it wished, and knowing it would return for you. The Professor began to walk towards the house, but before he got more than a few steps the front door opened, and a lady trotted out. She was medium sized, and a little plump, with apple cheeks and kind smile. I liked her even more.

"Hullo Diggory"' She said, smiling. "These are the Narnian children, I take it? How are you all?"'

"We're all fine Ms Plumber."" Peter began politely, but she interrupted him. "No that won't do. You can call me Polly. Aunt Polly, if you don't mind. You know, in medieval times, that was a term of respect for the women of villages, and I like that. So I'll be aunt Polly then?"'

We all nodded and Lucy said "I like that as well'"

"Well come in then. Don't stand about gawking, you'll catch a cold. In, in, in"' She herded us into the house and sat us down in the living room, then bustled out to get tea. She came back, with a tea tray and a box of cookies.

"Well."' She said, "How did you get into Narnia?"' And with Lucy beginning, we told her and the professor, for the first time, what had happened in Narnia. We talked until everyone's voice was sore. We talked of the White Witch, and The Battle, and of Aslan and the Stone Table. We spoke of our rule, and the story of Prince Cor and the Lady Arivis, and finally, of that day when we went hunting the white stag. When I finished, my voice dry and cracking, Aunt Polly set down her mug and looked at me.

" Well" She said "that's a story to put our to shame, isn't it Diggory?" The Professor nodded.

"More than you know."" He said. "The Witch? Her name was Jadis."' Polly's cheerful face went white, and I knew she was thinking of Peter's chocked voice as he told my wound on the hill top. I don't know why, but I did. "Well,"' She said again "I suppose it's our turn to tell a story."' And together, Polly and the Professor told the story of the birth of Narnia, and of the white witch's entry to it.

When they finished, there was utter silence for a moment. "I am sorry." The professor said. "I never meant for any of that to happen.

"'Of course not"' Peter said firmly. "Now, it's going to be lunch time soon, and I, for one, am hungry. Are we going back to you place for lunch professor?"'

"Yes."' Aunt Polly grabbed the tea tray and took it into the kitchen, Susan getting up to help her. I got up and went outside to hitch up the horse, Peter following me.

"Are you okay?"' I asked him.

He nodded, and sighed. "I'm fine"'

Aunt Polly, Susan and Lucy walked out carrying bags. The professor walked behind them, lost in his thoughts. I grinned. "Looks like you're driving Peter"" I said, and clambered into the back, pulling Polly's luggage from hers and Susan hands, and placing it beside me.

That night, after supper, I went to bed early, but stayed up late reading. At almost ten o'clock, I heard some one enter Peter's room, and pressing my ear to the wall. I realized it was Polly. "Are you alright?"' Her voice was worried "It wasn't to much to hear all that, was it?""

"I'm alright" Peter said.

"You're take very good care of you're brother and you're sisters, you know."" Polly told him.

"Am I really though?"' The dam burst forth before he could stop it, I could tell "In Narnia… Edmund was nearly killed! And I couldn't even do anything!"'

"That wasn't your fault. The witch is evil, and I speak from experience""

"Yes, but it was Edmund! And the witch was coming for me, and he just stopped her, and won the war too, breaking her wand like that. He's the best of us all, I don't think he realizes that. He keeps me sane as well. I don't think…"' He faltered. "…I don't think I could keep any of this up with out Edmund."'

I lay back, heart pounding. I was the best of us? As if! I inwardly scoffed. I betrayed my siblings for bloody candy! Peter was the best. I heard Polly leave and sat up, then walked into Peter's room.

"You heard?"' He was sitting up in bed.

"Yes"" I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "and you're wrong. I'm never the best of us."'

"You are." Said Peter calmly, patting the side of the bed he wasn't on, motioning for me to sit. I did so. "The just keeps this family whole."' He yawned and lay down. I did the same beside him He was the best, but at least, at last, ever since I started to go wrong, as they called it, I had what I wished for; I was needed.

Edmund the Just 


End file.
